Angels Select Jack Kochanowicz Angels Select Jack Kochanowicz

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The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander  . Tomorrow is the deadline to select eligible players in order to prevent them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Their 40-man roster count is now at 39.  Kochanowicz, the clubs ninth-best prospect , was a third-round pick by the Angels in the 2019 draft. He didnt make his profe sional debut until 2021 due to the cancelled minor league season in 2020, and struggled badly in his first pro season with a 6.91 ERA in 83 1/3 innings at the Single-A level. Kochanowicz struck out just 19% of batters faced while walking 9.1% during the 2021 campaign. His performance improved during a repeat of the level in 2022, as his  Luka Samanic Jersey ERA and walk rate dipped to 4.99 and 7.3% while his strikeout rate crept up to 21.2%.  A signed to the High-A level to open the 2023 campaign, Kochanowicz looked nothing short of dominant for five starts with a 1.52 ERA and 14 strikeouts against just 3 walks in 23 2/3 innings of work. That strong performance earned him a call-up to Double-A, but he struggled badly once again after his promotion with a 6.53 ERA acro s 70 1/3 innings of work. While his walk rate continued to improve with a 6.1% figure this season, Kochanowiczs strikeout rate dipped to just 17% in 2023 while he allowed home runs in ten of his sixteen Double-A appearances, including eight of his eleven appearances that lasted longer than two innings.  All those factors make it seem po sible that Kochanowicz is ticketed for relief work long term, despite exclusively being used as a starter in 2023. Hes had succe s in a relief role in the past, with a sterling 1.53 ERA and a 26.1% strikeout rate in 17 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen during the 2022 campaign. Given that past succe s in relief and his excellent fastball, which touches the upper 90s and has helped him generate solid ground ball rates throughout his career, its understandable that the Angels felt the need to protect Kochanowicz from the upcoming Rule 5 draft; even if the club plans to continue trying to develop the young righty as a starter, its certainly feasible a rebuilding club could try and stash his high-velo arm in a major league bullpen for 2024 in hopes of unlocking his potential.  Rudy Gay Jersey